We spent a long day out west today.......................
Cloudless skies and spring weather, it was a nice day to be out and about.
Black-necked Grebes have been scarce this spring but we found one in summer plumage near Esashi.
Great-crested Grebes were also in summer plumage. There were lots of divers on the sea, mostly Black-throated like this one near Kikonai. These were all still in winter colours.
The tame ones we saw last week had all gone. We did see a Red-throated Diver in full summer plumage, also in Kikonai, but it wasn't close enough for a photo.
I got my first Japanese Bush Warbler of the year, one of the first batch of short range summer migrants like this Eurasian Skylark.............
Other stuff around included White-fronted Goose, Great Egret, Harlequin Duck, Daurian Redstart, Siberian Meadow Bunting, Sparrowhawk, Brent Goose and a surprise Black Woodpecker near Kaminokuni.
May have been a long day, but pretty rewarding I would think. Every time you mention Black Woodpecker I drool!
ReplyDeleteThanks David, hope you get to see one this year...........
DeleteI've only ever seen BN Grebe in winter plumage, so this is great.
ReplyDeleteMost of them have gone, in most years anyway, by the time SP kicks in here too............
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